Since appearing on this show last fall, Dr. Hageseth has consulted with scores of what he calls Parkinsons People (PPs). PPs consist of Persons with Parkinsons (PwPs), caregivers, interested family and many different professionals.
Overall PPs are dissatisfied with allopathic medicine, but dissatisfied or not, many take medications with considerable benefit. The majority feel their neurologists do not take enough time with them or discuss other options with them.
The Internet abounds with alternative approaches, but sadly, most offer little data or studies to support their claims. I have interviewed several PPs who tried different treatments but with no success.
Holistic medicine should have a W at the start of the word. Allopathic medicine helps, but it has its difficulties. I envision Wholistic medicine to include allopathic medicine and a healthy dose of Alternative Medicine as well.
The following quotes sum up my approach to PD
Don’t battle PD . . . challenge it – better yet, dance with it.
Do not resign yourself to PD, accept it and get on with your life.
Only you can engage your BodyMind to bring about self-directed neuroplastic change that will rewire your brain.
BUT it’s not up to your neurologist, IT’S UP TO YOU!
Dr. Christian Hageseth, a 75-year-old retired psychiatrist has had PD for 5 ½ years. He tried three medications briefly early in his illness, but stopped due to side effects and expense.
The day after his diagnosis he started studying yoga and now practices it daily. For exercise he does what he calls Mindful Power Walking and High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT, also called Tabata). Finally, he has studied Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and meditates for 45 minutes each morning.
He has fewer motor symptoms that are less severe since the time of his diagnosis. Last year he hiked up a 14000-foot mountain peak in Colorado. When meeting people for the first time most cannot tell he has PD. He now feels it is his mission to train other Persons with Parkinsons (PwPs) how to reduce their medications, reduce some motor symptoms, and live a fuller life.
John Pepper, author of Reverse Parkinsons Disease, is not a doctor. He is a Parkinsons Patient with 51 years of experience. These are the actions, which have helped John reverse his symptoms.
Regular Energetic Exercise
Learn how to Take Conscious Control of all movements
Manage Stress Levels
Adopt a Positive Attitude
John Pepper discusses his discoveries as he has journeyed down the road to recovery. For more information visit John’s website: www.reverseparkinsons.net
This radio program focuses attention on mindfulness, stress and Parkinson’s disease. One of the founding faculty members of Duke Integrative Medicine, Jeffrey Brantley, MD was trained in mindfulness as a resident in psychiatry at the University of California at Irvine Medical Center. Dr. Brantley was elected as a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association in 2013 and is currently a faculty member at Duke Medical Center.
“Mindfulness is not just for priests, monks or nuns, and it isn’t a religion.Mindfulness and meditation are for anyone who wishes to practice them. You don’t have to be anything special. Meditation practice is a way of remembering and reconnecting with the basic intelligence and goodness all human beings have.”
Dr. Brantley is the author and coauthor of a number of books on mindfulness including Calming Your Angry Mind and Daily Meditations for Calming Your Angry Mind with Wendy Millstine
My guest is Bob Stahl, Ph.D. who answers the question “What is mindfulness?” and discusses how mindfulness would help people live fulfilling lives with Parkinson’s. As explained on his website [www.mindfulnessprograms.com]:
“Mindfulness is the practice of being aware of what is happening in the present moment. Whenever you bring awareness to what you are directly doing or experiencing in your body and mind, you are being mindful.”
Dr. Stahl founded 7 Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction programs in medical centers throughout the San Francisco bay Area and currently directs programs at Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz, El Camino Hospital in Mountain View and Los Gatos. He serves as a Senior Teacher for the Oasis Institute for Mindfulness-based Professional Education and Training.
Dr. Stahl is a co-author of “A Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Workbook”, “Calming the Rush of Panic” “A Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Workbook for Anxiety”, “Living with Your Heart Wide Open” and other marvelous books.
On today’s radio show I discuss the relationship between stress and the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. Once we have stress under control, the symptoms of Parkinson’s dissolve like a snowball in the hot sunshine.
As part of my discussion, I explain the purpose of the Parkinsons Recovery Mindfulness Program which entails a post each week here on the member website of a new mindfulness challenge. You receive these mindfulness challenges as a member which are posted each week on the Mindfulness website (see the link to the page on the right column).
